**Kingdom of Fiore**

**Magnolia Town**

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!"

At the entrance of the Fairy Tail guild, Makarov smiled warmly at Su Yan.

"This is... really Fairy Tail?"

Su Yan gazed at the familiar building before him, struck by awe. He had heard of it many times, but standing here in person, it was almost too incredible to believe.

"Alright, enough gawking! Come inside and meet your guildmates," Makarov urged, waving him forward.

With a creak, the doors of the guild swung open, and an intense, vibrant energy washed over them.

"Hit him! Go, Natsu!"

"Don't lose, Gray! Show him who's boss!"

Inside, the guild was in uproar as two young wizards—one with cherry-red hair and the other with jet-black—were locked in a heated brawl.

The crowd around them didn't seem inclined to stop the fight; on the contrary, they watched with great amusement, cheering them on.

"You flaming idiot!" Gray shouted, landing a punch on Natsu's face. Natsu staggered back, crashing into a table with a defiant grin on his face.

"You ice freak!"

With a growl, Natsu lunged back, delivering a punch to Gray that sent him sprawling to the floor.

"Alright, now you've done it!" Gray shouted, clenching a fist into his other hand as icy magic began to shimmer around him.

"Oh, using magic? Bring it on!" Natsu's fists flared with flames, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Bring it, Gray!"

"ICEMAKE: Big—"

"Fire Dragon's Wing—"

Suddenly, Makarov's furious roar cut through the chaos. "You two brats, knock it off right now!!"

Two enormous hands appeared out of nowhere, smacking both boys to the ground.

With a loud thud, Natsu and Gray fell, yelping in pain, while everyone around them froze.

They turned to see Makarov standing there, fuming.

"The Master's back!"

"Welcome back, Master!"

Guild members crowded around, greeting Makarov with cheers and laughter.

Makarov scowled down at the two boys. "I've told you! You can roughhouse all you want, but no magic in the guild! What do you two want, to bring the whole building down?"

"Now clean this mess up!"

"Yes, Master!" Natsu and Gray scrambled up, casting resentful glares at each other, as if to say, *Next time, I'll definitely win.*

Su Yan watched them closely, noting Natsu's vibrant cherry-colored hair and the dragon-scale scarf around his neck.

Even though he was younger and a bit different from the character in the animation, Su Yan recognized Natsu immediately. And next to him, Gray looked much the same, though a bit younger and smaller.

"Master, who's that?" 

Many guild members were now glancing curiously at Su Yan, standing beside Makarov.

Makarov cleared his throat. "Everyone, meet Su Yan. He's our newest member, and you'd better get along with him."

"A new kid, huh?" Macao, slightly tipsy, chuckled. "Master, Fairy Tail's really turning into a daycare center!"

"He's right," Wakaba chimed in. "Every time we go on a mission, we're already getting laughed at."

"Shut up, you slackers!" Makarov shot back. "Quit making excuses to hang around drinking instead of working! Su Yan here is stronger than either of you!"

"What?!" 

The guild erupted in exclamations. Despite his easygoing reputation, Macao was a formidable wizard; only a handful of people in the guild could match him. And here was the Master, claiming this kid could beat him.

"That's impossible!" Macao blinked, suddenly sober. "Master, I can handle a bit of smack talk, but saying I'd lose to a kid—no way!"

Macao clenched his fist, squaring up to Su Yan. "Alright, kid, let's see what you've got!"

The guild buzzed with excitement. They loved a good fight, whether they were in it or watching from the sidelines.

Su Yan frowned and shook his head. "There's no need for that."

"Are you scared?" Macao taunted.

Su Yan gave him a serious nod. "Yes."

Macao grinned, smugly satisfied. But Su Yan continued, his expression deadpan.

"I'm afraid I'll knock you out with just one punch."